Operational / Human Error Event Rate Investigation And Reduction

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When significant events occur, whether operational failures or injury events, comprehensive methods of approach are key.

Beyond accurately determining the root cause of the event, an objective, fact-based method must be developed to ensure that the event will not re-occur.

PII has more than 25 years of experience investigating over 5,000 operational and injury events. PII’s approach is integrated and comprehensive, encompassing four areas of expertise: human error factors, equipment failures, organizational and programmatic issues, and management deficiencies. Integrated Event Reduction technology usually involves three, and sometimes all four, of these areas. 

PII has applied this technology for its clients to achieve the following:

  • Reduction of power plant unplanned trips or outages
  • Reduction of loss of capacity of manufacturing facilities
  • Reduction of distribution system unplanned outages
  • Reduction of equipment failure rates due to aging
  • Reduction of tag-out or electrical system isolation process failure rates
  • Reduction of maintenance re-work rates
  • Reduction of project failure rates
  • Reduction of unplanned delays of power plant outages
  • Reduction of event rates after commission of new facility

By objectively analyzing the failure rate and human error rate of a process, PII can help prevent failures even before a new process is brought on-line.

In this way, PII identifies the risk associated with the new process and helps to correct or improve it before it generates errors (and embarrassment for the re-engineering team). Such errors can cause a loss of credibility and management support, which is the leading cause of re-engineering project failures. PII provides the only fact-based analysis of a work process, optimizing the streamlining effort while reducing the business risk. PII ‘s investigation utilizes a comprehensive failure mode chart to identify the true causes of failures. A similar chart is sometimes used to effectively eliminate those factors which are not involved in an event. This unique technology combined, with our unmatched depth of experience, assures our clients of correct identification of root causes as well as methodologies to ensure no recurrence.

Recent examples of PII’s work in this area include:

  • In 2007, PII was selected by EPRI and TVA to help reduce boiler tube failure rates.
  • In 2006, PII was selected by AEP Engineering and Project Unit to reduce engineering-related project failure rates.
  • In 2007, PII was selected by Daya Bay to reduce equipment failure rates.
  • In 2008, PII was selected by Entergy to reduce tag-out process failure rates.
  • In 2008, PII was selected by National Grid to reduce pipe rupture event rates.
  • In 2009, PII was selected by TVA to reduce event rates after commissioning of facilities.
  • In 2009, PII was selected by Entergy to help reduce equipment failure event rates at a twin-unit plant.